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Detective remanded over leaked ‘Kale tapes’

A police detective suspected to have stolen recordings of the IGP, Gen Kale Kayihura, interviewing NRM party youth, has been charged and remanded to Luzira prison.

Monday April 28 2014

In Summary

THE CASE: Mr Poteri is accused of passing government information to persons not authorised to receive it.

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By BETTY NDAGIRE

KAMPALA. A police detective suspected to have stolen recordings of the IGP, Gen Kale Kayihura, interviewing NRM party youth, has been charged and remanded to Luzira prison.

Mr Ronald Poteri, 32, attached to Electoral and Political Crimes Department, is facing charges of wrongful communication and leaking information contrary to Sections4(1) of the Secrets Act.

Appearing before Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate, Olive Kazaarwe, the suspect did not take plea since his lawyer; Mr Shaban Senywa objected to his client’s trial proceeding, on grounds that he had been detained by police beyond the mandatory 48 hours. Subsquently, Magistrate Kazaarwe adjourned the matter to May 7, after ordering Mr Senywa to bring evidence confirming his claims.

“Mr Senywa, your allegations are so serious. This court cannot base on verbal claims to release your client unconditionally. Therefore, you are ordered to bring an affidavit in that effect to help court draw its conclusion,” Ms Kazaarwe said.

Prosecution alleges that in March 2014 at the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate (CIID) headquarters in Kampala, Mr Poteri, being in possession of an official secret entrusted to him as a person holding an office of the government of Uganda, did pass on this confidential information to persons not authorised to receive it. Early this month, the head of the Political Crimes Desk, Mr Fred Mirondo, told Saturday Monitor that the recordings in question were of Gen Kayihura talking to Mr Alex Kasirivu, an NRM supporter in Kayunga District.The recordings are part of the 87 tapes of different persons interviewed in an ongoing investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate Gen Kayihura.

It is alleged that Mr Poteri handed them to Ms Jacqueline Mbabazi, the wife of Prime Minister, Mr Amama Mbabazi.

Ms Mbabazi, who addressed a couple of press conferences early this month, said she had recordings of Gen Kayihura coaching youth to pin her husband Mr Mbabazi as having ambitions to replace President Museveni.